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Research

Research Interests

Summary

Metabolic plasticity is the key to plant success in stressful and changing environments. To understand the mechanisms underpinning this plasticity, I am studying the modulation of the transcriptome and the proteome under salt-stress, water-stress in species adapted to salinity and drought like Mesembryanthemum crystallinum, Ananas comosus and Clusia. My objective is to contribute to the elucidation of the key regulations and the mechanisms involved in the production of adequate physiological responses to these environmental stressors and their evolution in different plant systems. The regulation of the mechanisms involved in stress-resistance is based on the integration of different inputs including the stress-signals per se, the metabolic inputs and the control by the circadian clock. My research involves three complementary areas:

(1) The regulation of the expression of crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) in response to salinity in M. crystallinum and to drought in Clusia minor and anans comosus as an integrated multigene response to stress and to the circadian clock

(2) The regulation of starch metabolism and sugar transport as an integrated output of environmental factors and the circadian clock. The way starch degradation is controlled on long term by stresses and on short term by the circadian clock is studied in different systems

(3) The signalling processes involved in the control of CAM and starch degradation in response to environmental factors (water-stress, salinity...), their specificity and cross-talk as well as evolution are investigated in different systems

The ultimate goal is to provide tools and build a core of knowledge on the regulation of stress responses for use in Biotechnology and Agriculture.

Other Expertise

My main expertise is in gene technology applied in plant Biotechnology and beyond

Current Work

Signalling processes involved in the regulation of responses to water-and salt-stress

Mechanism and significance of the autonomy of circadian clocks in plants

Regulation of crassulacean cid metabolism

Regulation of starch metabolism

Detection and Quantification of Genetically Modified Organisms

Future Research

Engineering controled drought and salt-resistance in plants using signalling genes

Detection and quantification of Genertically Modified Organismes In seed stocks, foods and feeds

Postgraduate Supervision

Contributing supervisor of 2 Ph.D. studentsSupervisor of 3 MSc. Students

Esteem Indicators

Active reviewer for different journals including (last 2 years) Annals of Applied Biology, Functional Plant Biology, Plant Physiol. Biochem, TREES-Structure and FunctionEvaluating expert for BBSRC, NERC and USDAInvited speaker to several international conferences

Funding

NERC- Ecological significance of the circadian controls in plantsRoyal Society- Regulation of starch degradation in plants with crassulacean acid metabolism. Self raised more than £25k of funding

Industrial Relevance

Preservation and extension of shelf-life of fresh produce Product authentification and traceability using DNA methods